How to build your Choir Program through the use of
a Summer Choir Camp
Cyndie Lowry
Choir Director
Mitchell Intermediate School
WELCOME! Meet some of my friends…
v Connie Horton, Head Choir Director at McCullough Jr. High School
Organized and helped to develop our Cantate Choir Camp
Formerly my co-teacher at Mitchell
My students feed into her choir program
v Julie Stobbe, Music Teacher at Buckalew Elementary School
Co-teacher for our Cantate Choir Camp
Her students feed into my school choir program
History of Cantate Choir Camp
In the beginning…
v The Cantate Choir began in the mid to late ‘90s
v Was first used as a way to build the choir program for Mitchell Intermediate.
Great way to introduce yourself to the new choir members coming in
Great way for the students to meet and greet incoming students
v Later, added in two new flex schools who fed into the same JH/HS
v Then included the feeder elementary schools
v Now open to the whole district
Forms and Documents used for Registration
u We use 3 different forms
v Registration form with address, email, shirt size
v Liability form from the District
v Parent Permit to Travel/Medical Emergency Information
If you would like hard copies of our forms, email me at [email protected]
Repertoire u Examples of Camp Songs
v Sansa Kroma
v COFFEE
v Boots of Shining Leather
v Yonder Come Day
v A Ram Sam Sam
v Scotland’s Burning
v My Dame Hath a Lame, Tame Crane
All of these examples come from 150 Songs for Singing and Teaching by Edward Bolkovac and Judith Johnson, Boosey & Hawkes
Repertoire
u Examples of Ocatvos
v American Game Song Medley
arr. by Earlene Rentz; Shawnee Press E0533
v The Blue-Tail Fly
arr. by Jill Gallina; Shawnee Press E0405
v Here Rattler, Here!
arr. by Ruth Dwyer & Martin Ellis; Colla Voce 24-96790
v Whisper!
Greg Gilpin; Heritage Music Press 15/2812H-2
v Seven Silly Songs Mark Weston; Heritage Choral Series 15/2114H
v She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain
arr by Russell Robinson; BLP Choral Music BL691
v Rhythm of the Rain Jerry Estes; Alfred Choral Designs 17730
Classroom/In-Seat Songs
u Used primarily to get up and move in between instructions of songs/octavos
v A Chee Chee Chaw
v Car Song
v I Put the Penny in the Gum Slot
v Diction Understood
from Choir Builders by Rollo Dilworth/Hal Leonard
Typical Daily Schedule 9:00 – 10:00 Greet/Warm Ups/Rehearsal
10:00 – 10:15 Restroom/Water Break
10:15 – 11:00 In Seat Songs/Rehearsal of Camp Song/Octavo
11:00 – 11:30 LUNCH
11:30 – 12:00 Games/Restroom/Water Break
12:00 – 12:45 Rehearsal
12:45 – 1:00 Announcements/Dismissal
Our Personal Stories From Erin Reeves, former music teacher from Powell Elementary
For the past six years at Powell Elementary, Cantate Choir Camp has served as such a refreshing start to each school year, and its effects last well into the year! I always cherished working with the other teachers in my feeder zone. I cherished the enthusiasm for choir that it built! It was always such a WONDERFUL recruitment tool because the excitement it built had a ripple effect out from the participants into their peers who had not even been present at the camp, creating a huge pool of motivated new choristers for my own school choir! When I began at Powell my 4th grade choir probably contained around 60 students. Each year, I watched it grow little by little until this past year saw my enrollment up to 104 choir members at its largest point! I know that Cantate Choir Camp played a huge role in getting those students interested in choir, helping keep them excited throughout the year, and leading many to choose choir as an elective as they traveled on to Intermediate School.
From Brittany Teigland, music teacher at Bush Elementary Camp is really great for my choir. Personally I love the jump start and great ideas I gain from you girls each time to start off the year. It gives us a chance to "clinic" so to speak, together.
My kids that attend bring excitement back to school about starting choir. They have a head start on those bus songs that I use as warm ups and team building games/activities throughout the year. Since we've been doing this for a while, I've really noticed how our use of similar terminology at camp, in our school choirs, and with our feeder choir groups really helps the students grasp choral concepts.
So it isn't just about building the choir for this one year, our working together has created an amazing culture of choir in our feeder. The kids say "oh my brother learned this game at camp, or we play that at my school." Choir is the thing to be part of starting in elementary and up! In my book that is a great culture for our schools.
Thank you for coming!
Feel free to contact me at
for any questions or copies of
music or forms